To virtually nobody’s surprise, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., dove headfirst into the GOP 2016 presidential field Tuesday. Paul is the second major candidate on the Republican side to launch a presidential campaign.

Paul made the announcement from the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, Tuesday, joining fellow GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the presidential fray after a series of videos highlighting his platform and his credentials. His father, former Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and mother Carol were in the crowd.

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He was introduced by his wife, Kelley, while the event was emceed by former GOP Rep. J.C. Watts, Okla., one of the few African-American Republicans to serve in Congress.

The first term senator made it official on his website ahead of his address. “I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government,” his site said.

“The Washington machine must be stopped,” Paul said at the top of his roughly 30-minute speech blasting both Republicans and Democrats alike.

Too often when Republicans have won, we have squandered our victory by becoming part of the Washington machine. That’s not who I am.

Paul also noted “big government and debt doubled under a Republican administration” and later tripled under the Obama administration. The Republican administration to which he is referring is the most recent Bush administration.

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Paul called for term limits for Congress, also touting the “Read the Bills” act–specifically referring to bills which “are 1000 pages long and no one reads them” prior to casting a vote.

In his initial speech as an official presidential candidate, Paul also proposed lowering the tax rate for companies who want to bring their profits home and supported offering children “the same opportunity that I have… we should offer them school choice.”

Still, Paul said America should only be focused on defending “against enemies who are dead-set on attacking us.”

On Iran, Paul said “successful negotiations must come from a position of strength” and insisted the final version of terms with Iran be brought to Congress for a vote. He also said he will oppose any deal that “does not end Iran’s nuclear emissions and has strong verification measures.”

Any Paul speech would be incomplete without a proper slam on warrantless searches, which the Kentucky senator called “a threat to our civil liberties.”

“On day one as president, I will immediately end this unconstitutional surveillance.”

This announcement was anti-climactic, as National Review Washington Editor Eliana Johnson put in a very apropos manner:

That does not mean it was not a fine speech, though.

The newly-minted candidate will make trips to early presidential primary states including Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, according to CNN. Paul announced last December he is also seeking re-election to the Senate in 2016, even though Kentucky state law does not allow candidates to run for two offices simultaneously. USA Today reports:

To get past a state law that forbids candidates from running for two offices at the same time, Paul has proposed a presidential caucus in 2016 that he would help fund instead of a primary. That would allow the state to record its presidential preference, without Paul appearing on the same ballot twice. A Kentucky GOP task force is studying the idea and a final decision could come in August.

As of last month, the University of Virginia Center for Politics listed Paul as a “second tier” candidate, noting the large field, his stance on foreign policy issues, and his father, former Republican Congressman Ron Paul of Texas.

Still, the first-term senator finds himself in a formidable position. The center also listed his ability to reach out to a “diverse audience,” support from the Tea Party, and his name recognition as his strengths.

The RealClearPolitics average of polls also has Paul in a decent position, tied with Cruz and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. They trail former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida and Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.

Cruz and Paul will not have the field to themselves for very long. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said “I will announce on April 13 what I’m going to do next in terms of running for president or the U.S. Senate,” while appearing on the Fox News program The Fivelast month. “I’ll announce something on April 13th, and I hope you all watch.”

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